Button-machine



(No Model.)

F. H. HARDMAN. BUTTON MACHINE.

No.- 477,115. Patented June 14, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED. II. IIARDMAN, OF BEVERLY, ASSIGNOR TO \VALTER E. BENNETT, OF

ROSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. I

BUTTON-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,115, dated June 14,1892.

Application filed August 21, 1891. Serial No 403,366- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: No. 403,365, although features of thepresent Be it known that I, FRED. H. HARDMAN, a invention may beapplicable to other eyecitizen of the United States, residing atBevforming or button-making machines, and, as erly, in the countyofEsseX and State of Massain the machine forming the subject-matter of 5chusetts, have invented new and useful Imsaid application, I here showtwo of the dies provements in Button-l\lachines, of which the whichcoact in the formation of the eye and following is a specification.buttonhead, the third die, however, not be- This invention relates toimprovements in ing shown, and A represents the fixed diewire'bending oreye-forming i'nechanism for block, having at its end the V-stud a, whichIO button-machines, the improvements in some is formed as a short ovalprojection from said respects relating to other features of the maend,corresponding substantially to the eyechine as will hereinafter be madeto appear. opening in thebutton-shank. Thesaid block The objects of theinvention are the proin its side 7 is provided with the die depresvisionof efficient devices for the ejection of sion 8, and in its rear side,or side opposite T5 the completed eye from the devices on which the one7, the block A has the longitudinal the eye is formed, or, moregenerally, of the groove or way 10, which extends to the end eye and thebutton-body also formed thereon, face of the block with the innermostborder and, secondly, the provision of aguard device thereof in a planecoincident with or near to which serves to retain the partially-formedthe edge of said stud a, as shown. 2o eye on the forming-stud at thetime one of The movable die B has its movement at the eye-forming diesrecedes, so that the wire right angles to the length of the die-block A,or eye will not recede therewith, said latter with its inner side 12 inthe plane of the end device further serving to reinforce the sup- 6 ofthe block A. The block B, when moved port for the eye at the time thepaper or other to its forward limit, has its end 13 coincident 25 stockmaterial from which the button-head with the side 7 of block A and hasthe die is formed is crowded upon and about the eyedepression 9 thereinto match and correspond shank legs. with the one 8 in the other block,which two The invention consists in the construction depressions S 9form the opening for molding and combination of parts, all substantiallyas and shaping the under portion of the button o hereinafter described,and covered by the head.

claims. Vithin the face 12 of die-block B the U- In the accompanyingdrawings the present openingb is formed, which merges byits widerimprovements are illustrated. section into the said depression 9, andthe Figure 1 is a view in perspective, showing width of said opening Z)is enough wider than 5 the fixed die and one of the movable dies, thethe widest part of the stud a to correspond ejector and actuatingdevices therefor, and to the thickness at each side of the stud of theguard. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the the wire from which thebutton-eye shank is parts shown in the preceding figure, but as to beformed, and all so that the wire having more or less separated from eachother to been fed down vertically behind and next to 40 more clearlyindicate details of construction. the stud a at the time the die B isreceded Figs. 3 and a are horizontal sectional views the die B in itsforward movement will transthrough the fixed die and movable die, theform the straight section of wire of suitable latter being shown indiiferent positions, as length into the form of a staple, the legs ofoccupied thereby at different times in the eye which may protrude withinthe die opening 9 5 45 or button forming operation of the machine.formed by depressions S and 9, and, if de- The present improved devicesare particusired,beyond the plane of the die-faces 7 and larlydesignedfor operation in connection with 13. The staple-legs are next, bysuitable an eye and button formingmachinewhich conmechanism notnecessary to here describe,stitutesthesubjcct-matterofaseparateappliforced together at pointssomewhat within 10c 50 cation for Letters Patent of the United States,their ends, the very extremities being spread filed by me of even dateherewith under Serial or divergent. The stock material may now becrowded over and upon the eye-shank legs and molded and compressed tothe formdesired for the button-head. The button having been made, theejector then operates, and, as particularly shown, the said ejectorconsists of the rod d, which lies within the grooveway 10 in the rearside of die-block A, and is properly extended and provided with theblock orenlargement f, which is borne upon by the head of theadjusting-screw g, which is in engagement with the swinging lever h. Themovement of said lever in one direction is imparted by the camj andeffects the shoving of the ejector-rod (1 against the eye of the buttonto force it off the stud. The ejector is quickly returned, so that theworking extremity is drawn within the end face 6 of die A by the spring70, which is applied between the fixed part D of the machine and theenlarged part f of the ejector. By turning the screw g the limit of theoutward movement of the ejector-rod Z) may be a greater or less distancefrom the end face of the die-block A.

The function of the guard member, which is indicated at m, is to serveas a safeguard during the continued and rapid running of the machineforinstance, in the event of the failure, after the die B has gone forwardto form the wire into staple shape and before it recedes, of the devicesof the button-machine which close the legs of the staple upon thetapered part of the V-stud a or of the blank-applying and head-formingmechanism to act before the bent piece of wire could be ejected to clearthe dies for the next button-forming operation, the bent wire might becarried back with the die l3 in the U-opening thereof, and manifestly onthe next button-forming operation the presence of the staple in the U-opening would result disastrously. The part of the member whichdirectly constitutes the guard is located within the face 12 of die B inthe central line of the U-opening b, said guard member not havingnecessarily any movement, and the said guard-constituting portion m ofthis member is by its forward face held just back of and slightlyseparated from the rear edge of the V-stud a, so that no impediment willbe offered to the free passage of the wire down back of and next to therear edge of the V-stud. It will be seen that the guard member is, asshown, in the form of a rod m, which lies back and along side of theejector-rod d and against a solid wall of a fixed part D of the machine,except the extremity 'm, which when the dieB is receded lies against theinnermost wall of the U-opening b therein, and when the said die isforward in its working position the said extremity is within the groove77. at the rear of and which communicates with the said U-opening, allas will be clear from the drawings. (See particularly Figs. 3 and 4.)The recess 11 in the present construction and arrangement necessarilybeing provided for the accommodation of the line of the said guard-rod.

extremity of the guard when die B is forward and working, the said guardextremity I nevertheless serves to efficiently reinforce the eye-shankin its confinement on the V-stud at the time the stock material is beingforced upon and molded around the legs of the eyeshank.

The making of the guard member in the form of a rod is a convenientmeans of construction and renders easy the application of the guard inthe mechanism for the extended or rod portion m, which lies along therear side of the ejector-rod within the groove 10 and is by the spring 0inwardly forced, so that the guard extremity m will always remain incontact with the inner wall of the U- opening or the groove n. The die13, while it has sufficient rearward movement, as indicated in Fig. 3,to permit of the unimpeded ejection of the eye or button, never movesrearwardly so far that it is carried out of the The spring 0 is shown asapplied between the enlarged part fof the ejector and the angularextension 13 of the rod 'm.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In an eye-forming mechanism of abutton-machine, the combination, with a block having a formingstudprojecting from one side face thereof, of another block movable with oneside face in bearing upon the face of the first block from which saidstud projects and having a forming or die opening of U form within saidbearing-face which extends to the end of the block and to coact withsaid stud, and a guard-piece provided to l extend within said U-openingand to lie just back of said stud and serving after the formation of theeye-staple as the movable die retreats to prevent the staple from beingcarried rearwardly with the movable block and off from the stud, as setforth.

2. In a button-machine, the combination, with a block having a stud aextended from the face thereof, of another die-block movable by one sidealong the side of said first block and having the U-opening 1) withinsaid side and the rearwardly-extended groove 11, and a guard memberextended to lie just back of and slightly separated from the said stud,substantially as described.

3. In a button-machine, the combination,

withthe die A, having the V-stud a, in its end and the groove 10 in itsrear side, and the die 13, movable as specified and provided with the U-opening b, and the groove 12, of the 1 ejector located for play withinthe saidgroove, 1 and means for moving it endwise back and forth, andthe guard-rod supported alongside of and at the rear of the ejector-rodand limited at its inner end by walls of the. openings in said die B,and a spring for maintaining the guard inwardly, as described and shown.

FRED. H. HARDMAN. Witnesses:

H. A. CHAPIN, M. A. BIGELOW,

